I will admit that I simply adore Shakespeare, but I didn’t always. My first exposure to Shakespeare was Romeo & Juliet, read as a class in junior high, followed by watching a very awkward movie. It wasn’t until I was older that I began to appreciate the beauty, dark humor, and wittiness of Shakespeare’s plays.

If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumber’d here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream.
Gentles, do not reprehend:
if you pardon, we will mend:
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
Now to ‘scape the serpent’s tongue,
We will make amends ere long.
Else the Puck a liar call;
So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.

How can that passage from A Midsummer’s Night Dream not leave you enchanted?

Unfortunately too many kids aren’t exposed to Shakespeare, and when they do they are often less than enthusiastic. Fortunately Shakespeare in Bits is here to help! I am so excited about this product! Shakespeare in Bits is really, really cool!

Shakespeare in Bits Live! (SIBL) is prehaps the most clever presentation of Shakespeare that I have ever seen. SIBL takes your child into the world of the play by presenting an animated video of the play while they read along with the original, unabridged text.

The most beautiful thing about SIBL, however, isn’t the plays or the way they are presented. No, the most beautiful thing about SIBL is that you can use it on your computer or on a mobile device! My teens originally balked at doing “something else” on the computer but were much more receptive to using it on their iPod Touches and tablets. Oh, it’s also Mac compatible!

You can purchase each play separately or you can buy access to all of them. The best deal is through Educents, where you can buy access to 3 of the plays (Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth, & Julius Caesar) for just $32! That like getting one play for free! But you have to hurry, this offer ends on September 17, 2013.

Meg Grooms is a long-time homeschooling mother of 6 children, ranging in age from preschool to married with kids of their own. Always a vagabond at heart, Meg and her family have embraced a slow travel lifestyle and currently call Southern California home. Your guess is as good as hers as to where they’ll end up next.